When Floyd ‘Money” Mayweather (44-0) climbs into the ring against redhead Mexican star Canelo Alvarez (42-0-1) on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas he will have already earned $41 million.

Chances are he will make close to another $25 million or more after the Showtime Pay Per View buys are calculated, but if you are Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather it will not be enough.

Mayweather is already the richest athlete in the world with earnings of $90 million in in 2013, but what he’s trying to do in the boxing ring only a rare few have managed to achieve that! —Go Undefeated!

Just think about some of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport?

Joe Louis went 12 years with 25 title defenses, but still finished 66-3 when all was said and done. Regardless whom you talk to many believe that Louis was the best of all time.

‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson had a span of 12 years where he won 128 fights with one loss and two draws, but still could not retire undefeated.

The ‘Greatest” Muhammad Ali lost five times and finished at 56-5.

Come on, give me a name? ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard? He finished 36-3-1.

George Foreman, Jack Johnson, Archie Moore, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis—all great fighters during their era, but they could not escape the sweet science without suffering at the hands of defeat.

A recent online survey on Boxing Records revealed that 54 percent of the people polled believe that Mayweather will lose to Canelo at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

That poll is a stark contrast to the one that Las Vegas odds makers posted last Friday, which show Mayweather as an overwhelming favorite to win the fight. According to Vegas odds Mayweather has a 73 percent chance of winning compared to just 27 percent for Canelo.

Perhaps, they are all wishful thinkers, but history in the sport of boxing is not kind to anyone.

Will ‘Money’ be different?

The reason why they call boxing the sport of sweet science because of all of the unforeseen obstacles that can prevent a fighter from winning.

Mayweather has been masterful at spacing out his fights throughout the years and not having to yield to an over barring promoter who would dictate whom or when he fights.

Since playing out his contract with Bob Arum and Top Rank, he has reserved the full right to fight whom he wanted and when.

Unlike any boxer in the history of the sport, ‘Money’ has cashed in on selecting the men he would fight and in many cases demanding the weight at which the bout will be contested.

It worked to perfection when “Money” fought Juan Manuel at the MGM Grand in 2009 at the catch weight of 144 pound.

Marquez, one of the great Mexican featherweight champions, who recently knocked out Manny Pacquaio, was punch less and over powered by Mayweather and lost a lopsided decision.

To add injury to insult, Mayweather came in weighing two pounds over the contract limit at 146 and paid a fine to enjoy a sizeable advantage over his opponent.

The Canelo fight is being fought at a contract weight of 152. Canelo is a 23-year old 154

junior middleweight champion, while Mayweather is the pound for pound king at 147.

Two pounds doesn’t seem like a big deal under normal circumstances, but it’s huge in boxing.

Roy Jones Jr., one of the best pound for pound fighters in history went up in weight from 191 to fight for the heavyweight title at more than 200 pounds and won.

But when Jones returned to his original weight class he was never the same and got knocked out by Antonio Tarver. Today he’s just a shell of the fighter he once was.

Pacquaio is been a weight climbing marvel going from 108 pounds to 154 without ever going back down to his original weight which is why Mayweather accused him of taking steroids.

What Pacquaio has done defies all of the logic in the sport of boxing not withstanding his knockout loss to Marquez.

Canelo is a growing 23-year old who carried power at 147, but is probably a better fit for 154. He will probably come into the fight weighing close to 165 after making the catch weight of 152.

Ironically, it was Canelo’s team that asked for the catch weight of 152 and not Mayweather’s.

Mayweather declared a week before the fight that he was already at 150, signaling that he is in prime condition.

Both fighters are the same height at about 5’8 and Mayweather has a slight reach advantage.

The big difference is their age.

One does not know when a fighter will grow old in a fight. Thirty-Six is 36, but it’s not 40.

We’ve seen a number of fightersenjoy success beyond the age of 40, so the age will not be the difference here, but the weight will tell the entire story.

It is the barometer that will determine if 44 goes to 45 and the 0 in still associated with it.